Removable closure for discharged outlet for railway car hopper



June 26, 1956 G. E. DATH REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1953 INVENTOR. Geo/ 9e 5 17am, fil y- 4% fl w June 26, 1956 Filed March 4, 1953 G. E. DATH REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER 4 Sh eats-Sheet 2 G. E. DATH 2,751,860 REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR. 660/373 EflczZ/z,

June 26, 1956 Filed March 4, 1953 BY M June 26, 1956 G. E. DATH 2,751,860

REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER Filed March 4, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

nited States Patent REMOVABLE CLOSURE FDR DISCHARGED OUT- LET F OR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER George E. Dath, Mokena, 11]., assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, ilL, a corporation of Illinois Application March 4, 1953, Serial No. 340,367

9 Claims. (Cl. 105282) This invention relates, generally, to railway car hopper outlet assemblies, and it has particular relation to a closure therefor together with locking means for holding the same in position. This invention is an improvement over that disclosed in Withall application Serial No. 338,227 filed February 24, 1953, and assigned to the assignee of this application.

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide a removable closure plate for a railway car hopper assembly with locking means that is simple and eflicient in operation and which may be readily and economically manufactured and installed; to employ a one-piece locking bar for holding the closure plate in operative position and to provide for rockably and endwise slidably mounting the same on the underside of the closure plate; and to provide for locking the closure plate in operative position when the locking bar is rocked in one direction about its longitudinal axis and for moving the locking bar endwise out of locking position when it is rocked in the opposite direction.

Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

This invention is disclosed in the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, and it comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of this invention, reference can be had to the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

' Figure l is a sectional view taken generally along the line 11 of Figure 2 and showing a portion of a typical hopper and outlet construction with which the present invention is incorporated;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing in further detail the present invention and particularly the locking mechanism therefor;

Figure 3 is a view, in side elevation, of the lower portion of the hopper with the closure plate of the present invention in operative position;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken generally along along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.;

Figure '5 is a detail sectional view taken generally along the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the lower portion of the hopper and the closure plate, showing the latch bar in the retracted position.

Referringnow particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the reference character it designates, generally, a hopper of a conventional type railway hopper car which may be employed for transporting various types of lading, such as flour and the like, The hopper it} is formed by inner andouter side walls 11 and 12 and end walls 13 and 14. It will be observed that the inner side wall 11 extends generally vertically and that the walls 12, 13, and 14 are inclined for directing the flow of lading to a hopper opening 15 which is generally rectangular in shape and is defined by these walls.

Surrounding the hopper opening 15 is an outlet frame that is indicated, generally, at 16. The outlet frame 16 may be constructed as shown in Zimmer application Serial No. 241,761 filed August 14, 1951, and assigned to the assignee of this application. However, it will be understood that other outlet frames can be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

The outlet frame 16 comprises inner and outer sides 17 and 18 and ends 19 and 20. It will be noted that the sides and ends 117, 18, 19, and 20 overlie the walls 11, 12, 13, and 14, respectively. A gate 22 is slidably mounted on ways 23 and 24, and it is arranged to be moved into and out of the closed position by rack teeth 25 on the underside and cooperating pinion means 26 carried by a shaft 27 having a square cross section. In the particular outlet frame 16 disclosed, provision is made for moving the gate upwardly at the end of the closing stroke so that its upper surface is in close proximity to the discharge opening through theframe 16. For this purpose, the forward end of the gate 22 rides up an incline 28 while rack teeth 29 at the rear end of the gate 22 are arranged on an incline so that the final closing movement of the pinion means 26 raises this end of the gate as described. The gate 22 in the opened position is supported by side rails 39 which are carried by support angles 31 that depend from the car superstructure as will be understood readily.

Below the gate 22 and formed integrally with the outlet frame 16 is a depending chute structure that is shown, generally, at 34. The chute structure 34 is generally rectangular in shape and is provided with sides 35, 36, 37 and 38 which depend from the sides and ends 17, 18, 19, and 20 of the frame 16, respectively. As shown in Figure 2, the chute side 35 is provided with a lateral extension 39 in which there is a groove 40 that opens inwardly. Likewise the chute side 38 has a lateral extension 41, Figure 1, in which there is a groove 42. The grooves 49 and 42 are provided for receiving the temporary chute which is connected to the chute structure 34 for the purpose of conveying the lading from the hopper 10 to the desired storage bin therefor. In addition, the chute side 37 is provided with a flange 43 and the chute side 36 is provided with a similar flange 44 to which the temporary chute can be clamped.

It is desirable to protect the under surface of the gate 22 and the inner surface of the depending chute structure 34 from contamination by extraneous material. Such contamination may occur while the gate 22 is closed when the car travels with the chute structure 34 open to the weather. In accordance with this invention, provision is made for preventing this contamination and for this pur-r pose a removable closure plate 45 is provided, shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the closure plate 45 is inserted in the grooves 40 and 42 and extends underneath the flanges 43 and 44. A gasket 46 is provided between the contacting surfaces, as shown, in order to provide a weather tight construction. Provision is made, as will be described presently, for removably lat hing the closure plate 45 in the sealed position shown in Figures 1 and 2. For this purpose latch mechanism, shown generally at 43, is employed. The details of construction of the latch mechanism are shown more clearly in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to which reference now will be had.

It will be observed that the latch mechanism 48 includes keepers 49 and 59 which depend from the undersides of the chute sides 35 and 36. If desired, the keepers 49 and 59 can be formed integrally with the sides 35rand 36. As shown more clearly in Figure 6 of the drawings,

51 which is of generally inverted J -shape for receiving an offset crank end 52 of a latch bar 53. As shown in Figure 4 the crank end 52'has a cam surface 54 which is arranged to cooperate with a cam surface 55 so that, when the latch bar 53 is rocked about its longitudinal axis with the cam surface 54 in engagement with the cam surface 55, the latch bar 53 will be moved inwardly toward the hopper opening 15. For this purpose, the cam surface 55 is correspondingly inclined inwardly toward the hopper opening 15.

As shown in Figure 5, the keeper 50 also is provided with an inclined locking surface 58 that is of'inverted J- shape. The surface 58 is parallel to the surface 51 and is arranged for cooperation with an offset crank end 59 that is formed integrally with a latch bar 60.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings, the latch bars 53 and 60 are provided with radial flanges 61 and 62, respectively, which cooperate with bearings 63 to limit the outer endwise movement of the latch bars. The bearings 63 are secured by rivets 64 to the underside of the closure plate 45. Itwill be apparent that the'latch bars 53 and 60 are not only rockably mounted by the bearings 63, but also that they are endwise slidable therethrough.

With a view to providing a unitary construction between the latch bars 53 and 60, their inner ends 65 and 66 are bifurcated and are secured by rivets 67 to the ends of a connecting bar 68, the bifurcated ends 65 and 66 overlying the corresponding ends of the connecting bar 68. Thus, it will be apparent that the latch bars 53 and 60 and the connecting bar 68 are in reality a one-piece latch bar and that this latch bar is rockably mounted in the bearings 63 and also is slidably endwise therethrough along the longitudinal axis of the one-piece latching bar which is its axis of rotation.

In order to rock'the latching bar about its longitudinal axis, a bifurcated end 70 of an operating arm 71 is secured by a rivet 69 to the connecting bar 68 as shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. The operating arm 71 includes an offset portion 72 which overlies a bolt 73 that is slidably mounted in a pair of ears 74 which depend from the underside of the closure plate 45. The bolt 73 has a lateral extension 75 which projects through an car 76 and has a handle 77 depending therefrom. A coil compression spring 78 reacts between the car 76 and the bolt 73 to urge the latter to the locking position as shown in Figure 4.

In operation, when the closure plate 45 is to be removed from its position as shown in the drawings, the handle 77 is grasped to withdraw the bolt 73 from underneath the offset portion 72 of the operating arm 71. When the latteris freed, it is swung downwardly to rock the latch bars 53 and 69, operating as a one-piece latch bar as described, to rock the crank ends 52 and 59 out of their respective keepers 49 and t Simultaneously therewith the cam surface 54 on the crank end 52 rides over the cam surface 55 on the keeper 49 to move the latch bars 53 and 60 endwise out of locking position with respect to the keepers 49 and 50. When this has occurred, the closure plate 45 can be removed to permit the discharge of lading through the chute structure 34 when the gate 22 is opened.

The closure plate 45 is replaced by reversing the foregoing described sequence of operations after the closure plate 45 has been inserted in the grooves 41) and 42 of the lateral extensions 39 and 41 except that the interconnected latch bars 53 and 69 are moved endwise by application of the necessary force to the arm'71 or to the connecting bar 68 to restore the crank ends 52 and 59 into latching engagement with the keepers 49 and 50.

Since certain changes can be made in the foregoing construction and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute beneath said gate; a removable closure plate for application to the underside of said discharge chute for protecting the inner surface of said chute and the under surface of said gate from contamination by extraneous material, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, bearing means on the underside of said closure plate, and a single latch bar extending the length of and beyond the ends of said closure plate and rockably mounted on said bearing means, said latch bar having a journal portion longer than the length of said bearing means in an amount sufficient to permit movement of the ends of said latch bar endwise into and out of engagement with said keepers, the ends of said latch bar being eccentric relative to said journal portions and when in engagement with said keepers cooperating therewith and with said closure plate for camming the latter into sealing engagement with said chute and holding it in closed position, said latch bar in cooperation with said keepers constituting the only means for locking said closure plate in operative position and permitting bodily removal thereof by reversal of the movement of said ends of said latch bar. a

2. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute beneath said gate; a removable closure plate for said discharge chute for protecting the inner surface of said chute and the under surface of said gate from contamination by extraneous material, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, one of said keepers having a cam surface inclined toward said discharge opening, a latch bar rockably and endwise slidably mounted on the underside of said closure plate, and offset crank'arms at the ends of said latch bar for cooperating with said keepers, the crank arm individual to said one keeper cooperating with said cam surface to move said latch bar endwise out of locking position when the same is rocked about its longitudinal axis to permit removal of said closure plate.

3. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for clos-' ing said opening, and a discharge chute beneath said gate; a removable closure plate for said discharge chute for protecting the inner surface of said chute and the under surface of said gate from contamination by extraneous material, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, each of said keepers having an inverted J -shaped locking surface and one of said keepers having a cam surface inclined toward said discharge opening, a latch bar rockably and endwise slidably mounted on the underside of said closure plate, and offset crank arms at the ends of said latch bar for cooperating with said keepers to ride up said locking surfaces when said latch bar is rocked in one direction about its longitudinal axis to hold said closure in operative position, the crank arm individual to said one keeper cooperating with said cam surface to move said latch bar endwise out of locka a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute beneath said gate having inwardly opening grooves on two adjacent sides; a removable closure plate for interfitting with said grooves and closing off the underside of said discharge chute, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, one of said keepers having a camisurface inclined toward said discharge opening, a latch bar rockably and endwise slidably mounted'on the underside of said closure plate, and offset crank arms at the ends-of said latch bar for cooperating with said keepers, the crank arm individual to said one keeper cooperating with said cam surface to move said latch bar endwise out of locking position when the same is rocked about its longitudinal axis to permit removal of said closure plate.

5. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute beneath said gate having inwardly opening grooves on two adjacent sides; a removable closure plate for interfitting with said grooves and closing otf the underside of said discharge chute, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, each of said keepers having an inverted J- shaped locking surface facing one of said grooves and one of said keepers having a cam surface inclined toward said discharge opening and away from the other of said grooves, a latch bar rockably and endwise slidably mounted on the underside of said closure plate, and oifset crank arms at the ends of said latch bar for cooperating with said keepers to ride up said locking surfaces When said latch bar is rocked in one direction about its longitudinal axis to hold said closure in operative position, the crank arm individual to said one keeper cooperating with said cam surface to move said latch bar endwise out of locking position when the same is rocked about its longitudinal axis in the opposite direction to permit removal of said closure plate.

6. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute for positioning beneath said gate; a removable closure plate for said discharge chute for protecting the inner surface thereof and the under surface of said gate from contamination by extraneous material, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, bearing means on the underside of said closure plate, and a single latch bar extending the length of and beyond the ends of said closure plate and rockably mounted on said bearing means, said latch bar having a journal portion longer than the length of said bearing means in an amount sufiicient to permit movement of the ends of said latch bar endwise into and out of engagement with said keepers, the ends of said latch bar being eccentric relative to said journal portion and when in engagement with said keepers coopcrating therewith and with said closure plate for camming the latter into sealing engagement with said chute and holding it in closed position.

7. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute for positioning beneath said gate; a removable closure plate for said discharge chute for protecting the inner surface thereof and the under surface of said gate from contamination by extraneous material, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of the chute, bearing means on the underside of said closure plate, and a single latch bar extending the length of and beyond the ends of said closure plate and rockably mounted on said bearing means, said latch bar having a journal portion longer than the length of said bearing means in an amount sufiicient to permit movement of the ends of said latch bar endwise into and out of engagement with said keepers, the ends of said latch bar being eccentric relative to said journal portion and when in engagement with said keepers cooperating therewith and with said closure plate for camming the latter into sealing engagement with said chute and holding it in closed position, and a handle extending from said latch bar for rocking the same into and out of locking position with respect to said keepers and closure plate.

8. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute for positioning beneath said gate; a removable closure plate for said discharge chute for protecting the inner surface thereof and the under surface of said gate from contamination by extraneous material, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, bearing means on the underside of said closure plate, and a single latch bar extending the length of and beyond the ends of said closure plate and rockably mounted on said bearing means, said latch bar having a journal portion longer than the length of said bearing means in an amount sufiicient to permit movement of the ends of said latch bar endwise into and out of engagement with said keepers, the ends of said latch bar being eccentric relative to said journal portion and when in engagement with said keepers cooperating therewith and with said closure plate for camming the latter into sealing engagement with said chute and holding it in closed position a handle extending from said latch bar for rocking the same into and out of locking position with respect to said keepers and closure plate, and locking means on the underside of said closure plate for cooperating with said handle to hold the same in the locked position.

9. For combination with a railway car hopper having a discharge opening, a horizontally slidable gate for closing said opening, and a discharge chute for positioning beneath said gate, said discharge chute having inwardly opening grooves on two adjacent sides; a removable closure plate for interfitting with said grooves and closing off the underside of said discharge chute for protecting the inner surface thereof and the under surface of said gate from contamination by extraneous material, a pair of keepers adapted to depend from opposite sides of said chute, bearing means on the underside of said closure plate near each end, and a single latch bar extending the length of and beyond the ends of said closure plate and rockably mounted on said bearing means, said latch bar having a journal portion near each end longer than the length of the respective bearing means in an amount sufficient to permit movement of the ends of said latch bar endwise into and out of engagement with said keepers, the ends of said latch bar being eccentric relative to said journal portion and when in engagement with said keepers cooperating therewith and with said closure plate for camming the latter into sealing engagement with said chute and holding it in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 282,598 Zimmerman Aug. 7, 1883 509,025 Fasching Nov. 21, 1893 1,303,880 Geiger May 20, 1919 1,316,713 Guay Sept. 23, 1919 1,342,094 Campbell June 1, 1920 1,533,862 Hyle Apr. 14, 1925 1,810,770 Kind June 16, 1931 2,167,364 Johnson July 25, 1939 2,380,302 Geiger July 10, 1945 

